Europe1 .fr with AFP 17:22 p.m., May 03, 2023

A large-scale device is planned for the coronation of King Charles III on Saturday, May 6. A security challenge for the London police, while more than 29,000 members from all over the United Kingdom are mobilized since the beginning of the week and until May 8.

Eight months after the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II, the London police are tackling a new major security challenge with "Golden Orb", a major device for the coronation of Charles III.

After the arrest Tuesday in front of Buckingham of a man who threw behind the gates of the palace what appears to be rifle cartridges, Scotland Yard wanted to reassure. "We debriefed our plans (for the coronation) to make sure there were no gaps," Ade Adelekan, a London police official, told reporters on Wednesday. He said he was "convinced" that everything is in order three days before the celebrations.

29,000 officers mobilized

With hundreds of thousands of tourists and world leaders expected in London, the security operation is "one of the largest" run by London police, he said. More than 29,000 police officers, including reinforcements from across the United Kingdom, are mobilized for the "Golden Orb" operation, which began earlier this week and lasts until Monday, May 8.

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In a press briefing on Wednesday, the London police said that on the day of the coronation (Saturday, May 6), more than 9,000 police officers will be mobilized as well as 2,500 specialized officers.

"On coronation day, we will have the largest single-day mobilization of agents in decades, with just over 11,500 officers on duty," Adelekan said in a statement. Among them, many police officers will be stationed along the procession. Others will be responsible for ensuring the safety of VIPs or patrolling the crowd to spot any abnormal behavior.

Protests

The anti-monarchy group Republic said it intended to gather at least a thousand people to boo the king on Saturday in Trafalgar Square. While Adelekan stressed that these demonstrations were "legal", he said that the police would intervene "quickly" if these mobilizations become "criminal". "Our tolerance for any disruption, whether protest or otherwise, will be low," he said.

Waving an anti-monarchy sign is not a criminal act, he said, without drawing a clear line between what is protest and what is disruptive.

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The London police have a whole new legislative arsenal to intervene after the entry into force on Wednesday of the law on public order. Criticized even at the UN, this text gives new powers to the police to prevent "serious disturbances".

Environmental activists, known in the United Kingdom for their punching actions, are particularly targeted by the text, which provides for up to 12 months in prison for anyone blocking a road, a protest technique regularly used by these activists.

Facial recognition

London police also said they "intend to use facial recognition technologies" to identify "people whose presence would pose public protection concerns". This includes "persons wanted for offences or subject to a warrant for arrest issued by the courts," Scotland Yard said in a statement.

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The NGO for the defense of individual freedoms Big Brother Watch regretted the use of an "authoritarian mass surveillance tool", saying that this technology remained unreliable. In addition, snipers will be posted on the rooftops of central London. The skies will also be closely monitored: no drones or planes are allowed to fly over central London on Saturday, except for security helicopters or authorised media.